


Revealed

by RoseBloodCat



Series: Magic Spells, Fox Tails, Ghost Flames, and Snake Scales [5]
Category: Mystery Skulls, Mystery Skulls Animated
Genre: F/F, F/M, Mentions of Blood, Mentions of Death, Naga arthur, Naga!Arthur, Sort-of, graphic images, physical violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-03
Updated: 2018-01-04
Packaged: 2019-02-27 16:16:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13251915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoseBloodCat/pseuds/RoseBloodCat
Summary: How the Supernatural members of the Mystery Skulls are revealed to the rest of the team. Broken up for writing/planning/length purposes.





	1. Arthur Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> I was originally going to put this up as one whole piece, but it jus kept going and going and going, then I got stuck. I need feed back to keep me going, but I’m the only one among my IRL friends who’s really interested in MSA. Thusly, I can’t ask them to run through for me since they’ll just say “Oh, it was really good.” and things along those lines...
> 
> So I’m going to post it piece at a time so I can get feed back from people who are actually interested in this series/story. Please tell me what you think!

~~VIVI~~

_'How had this gone so wrong?'_ Vivi couldn't help asking herself, clinging to the ghost carrying her in his arms.

It should have been a simple job. Just head up north to the snowy mountain town that was having trouble with some “monster” that was making people disappear and had given them a down payment to cover any pre-case costs (like equipment or gas money).

It should have been some overly dramatic smuggling plot with the villains trying to scare everyone out of town, or a stupid cult trying to worship some all powerful snow/ice being and doing a crappy job of it, or some lonely snow spirit kidnapping people for company that could be easily talked into stopping and then into making friends with the townspeople and becoming a protector for them.

Something that was easy for them. Something they would've expected, and been prepared for, based on their previous jobs.

Off they'd trotted out into the cold snow, everyone except for L had been bundled up in their best winter wear and started their search. With Arthur complaining about the cold the entire way. She couldn't see why he was complaining so much, he was bundled up in almost _three times_ as many layers as her, even if he suffered from poor circulation.

Mystery had been in the lead, snuffling his way through the snow with that funny gait he always had when wearing little booties on his paws, with Vivi herself right behind him while Arthur and L flanked her sides. Those boys were always so protective, even though Arthur was usually the first to find trouble.

And then IT, had appeared before them. Exactly what their monster _shouldn't_ have been.

It shouldn't have been some tall, lanky, corpse-like, skeletal _monster_ with sickeningly yellow skin, no lips or toes, branch-like horns, and a horribly deformed face. Something that was better fit for a nightmare, or an R-rated horror movie. Something that made even _her_ shiver in fear.

It shouldn't have been some horrible monster that somehow _Arthur_ knew about yet she _didn't._

It shouldn't have made her friend react with honest, unbridled _terror_ at the sight of it, or had him haul her over his shoulder with strength she never knew he had, and take off like the devil itself was at their heels. The monster had let out a horrible, snarling roar and loped after them with alarming ease.

Arthur shouldn't have thrown her to L to protect her when that _thing_ caught up to him, slashing at him with it's claws and pinning him to the snow covered ground under a massive, clawed hand. He shouldn't have tried to free himself from it by _bitting it,_ only to have his chest clawed and get thrown into a tree for it. He shouldn't have collapsed onto the ground, obviously knocked out from the blow, with red dripping into the snow from his unconscious form.

Then the monster had turned to her and _snarled._

It was obvious who it wanted. It made it clear that it wanted _her,_ and gave chase when the ghost carrying her took off. It was only L's ability to fly/float/levitate that kept it from catching them over the uneven, forested terrain.

She'd lost sight of Mystery at some point, and she could only hope her brave little dog was staying back to protect Arthur and maybe wake him enough to get him back to the cabin that the townspeople had lent them to use as a base. It was pure, dumb luck that they made it to the house safely, and as soon as they were inside Vivi had all but collapsed onto the floor from shock and horror at what she'd just seen.

Fear wasn't a terribly familiar emotion for her. She was always the brave one, the bold one, the one who charged into their cases with her head held high. Arthur was the one who seemed to fear everything, loudly proclaiming the dangers of what they were doing and worrying enough for both of them. But, right then, she was afraid. Really, honestly afraid.

This wasn't how things should have gone!

“What-What was that?” L asked, sounding as shell-shocked as Vivi felt, his spectral voice actually _quivering_ as he spoke. Clearly, like her, he had never seen or encountered a creature like that before. She swallowed weakly, trying to shove down her alarm to speak properly.

“I-I don't know. But Arthur did.” She took in a shuddering breath, her eyes beginning to water as her adrenaline fueled panic faded. The events finally sinking in, she looked up into magenta-colored eyes in fear. “Oh god, _Arthur._ We have to do something! He's still out there with that-”

“NO!” The ghost's hair sparked dangerously. “That thing, whatever-it-was, was targeting you! It wasn't interested in him, just _you!_ I'm not letting you go back out there!”

Blue eyes glinted furiously at him. She couldn't abandon Arthur! He was always there for her, even when his own safety was at risk!

“And now that I'm not out there, it might go back for him! It already knocked him out! He's completely helpless right now!” The thought that it would target her unprotected friend terrified her. With their other jobs, she'd always known she could save him from harm, protect him, swoop in and rescue him before things got too bad. But this wasn't like their other cases.

This was something much worse than some half-cooked cult. Worse than a villain letting things get out of hand. This was and honest to god _monster,_ she was sure of it.

The skeleton ghost seemed to close his “eyes” and take a steadying breath. (She still wondered just how long it had been since his passing, for him to still have so many living mannerisms)

“You're right. But you're still not going out,” he held up a hand to keep her from protesting. “No, listen to me. It was targeting you, specifically. Not me, not Arthur, just you. If you go out, you won't ever reach him. It'll immediately turn it's attention back to you. You'll be too busy running from it to help him. I'll go out and get him, and Mystery, and bring them back here safely.”

He didn't sound happy about that (leaving her or going after Arthur, she couldn't tell), but plowed on.

“You stay here search through our books and files, try to find something, _anything,_ about that monster so we can get rid of it. Alright?”

His tone was just shy of pleading at the end, which was the only reason she agreed.

Watching the spirit phase through the door behind him, she prayed that L would make it in time to save Arthur. She couldn't bear the idea of loosing her friend, one of the few people who stuck by her through everything (High School, their numerous cases, _The Hospital_ ).

As soon as he left, Viv forced herself to her feet. Her books were all upstairs, along with her computer. She had to find out what that monster was, and how to stop it. For Arthur and for the town's people who begged for their help.

A horrible feeling in her gut told her that this was one cryptid (no, not a cryptid. A flat out _monstrosity_ ) that would they have to stop _for good_. With no chance of it escaping to somewhere else, of it going after more people.

She had always known that not every being she met would be kind or redeemable, but that didn't stop the shudder that went through her at thought of ending something's life.


	2. Arthur Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lewis goes out to get Arthur, and is baffled by what he finds.

~~LEWIS~~

Lewis had lost a lot of his anger towards Arthur while traveling with the Mystery Skulls again.

Yes, he still remembered seeing Arthur push him, but it was _so hard_ to hate someone who was doing everything in their power (and then some) to try and _find_ him. Who would happily wax poetic about how much he meant to them, without a single lie or falsehood in his speech or behavior. The person who really, honestly wanted him back.

It was so hard to connect the vicious, cruelly grinning face of his killer with the exhausted mechanic that was determined to bring him _home._ Who wanted to bring him back to his family (god, his _family,_ they still didn't know). Who wanted him to help get Vivi's memories back. Who just wanted things to go back to how they _should_ be.

He was still frustrated and bitter about his passing, but he just didn't have the _hatred_ he had when he first woke in the Cave, dead as a doornail with no explanation why.

And the way the blonde had (many times) risked himself to protect Vivi from harm? As much as he disliked him, Lewis couldn't be more grateful to Arthur for saving the blunette's life.

He looked up at the quickly darkening sky. A blizzard looked to be moving in, and fast. He had to find Arthur and Mystery and get them inside before the storm hit. Neither would last through the drop in temperature. He let loose a number of his Deadbeats, partially to make finding the blonde and not-dog easier, and partially to keep an eye out for the creature that attacked them. (It was still out there, possibly watching. Waiting.)

Tracking his way back to Arthur was actually pretty easy. Because of Lewis' fiery nature, he'd left a rather convenient trail of melted snow in his wake during his dash for the cabin. But the snow was already starting to fall so he had to move quickly before the trail was hidden from sight, and Arthur caught hypothermia or something equally terrible.

He squinted through the darkness, finally spotting the yellow and orange lump laying at the base of a tree with a small black and red form next to it. Exactly where Lewis had hoped they would still be. It was good to know that Mystery had trusted him to protect Vivi, and willing to stay behind to keep Arthur safe. But something was off. The yellow form seemed too- big? Long?

Lewis' non-existent stomach lurched in alarm.

That thing- It didn't have some kind of werewolf-syndrome going on, did it? It couldn't transfer it's condition via injury, could it?

He surged forward, dropping beside the unconscious blonde and pulling him into his arms, eliciting a small, startled yip from the dog beside him. Arthur didn't stir.

“Arthur! Come one, wake up!” He spoke softly, very gently shaking the other and trying to get some kind of reaction. He couldn't detect temperature very well, but he could tell that Arthur was far too cold, his skin too pale, his breathing too shallow.

Worse still were the trails of blood dripping down the blonde's body, staining the once-white snow a dark crimson. Lewis could see the the long, diagonal gashes across Arthur's chest and side, and he knew there were some across his back too. The blonde wasn't even twitching from the pressure Lewis was putting on is injuries.

He cursed softly, this was bad. Very, very bad.

The part of him that still cared for Arthur as a friend panicked. He had to get Arthur back to the cabin, before he bled out or froze to death.

One of his Deadbeats chirred curiously, tugging at it's mental connection to him like a child tugging at an adult's sleeve, drawing his gaze from his friend's unresponsive face to look at whatever had gotten it's attention.

And he felt himself still.

Lewis had long since come to the conclusion Arthur had kept things from himself and Vivi. Before his death, he'd never really thought much of it, believing everyone was entitled to their secrets and their privacy. The same still held (mostly) true for him after death. But because of said incident, he had become far more aware of things that were hidden.

Death had open his vision in a manner not unlike removing sunglasses from someone's face. You could see everything, but at the edges of your vision, you could see there was more to the world than what was in front of you. But when you turned to look, your view didn't really change. The world hadn't really changed from how it had been prior, but it had become sharper to his sight, clearer. Letting him see details that he couldn't have seen before.

He had realized that Arthur was keeping something pretty big from them, but it hadn't seemed relevant to his death so he hadn't bothered looking into it. He'd deemed it unimportant, or something he didn't need to _forcefully_ push his way into. He knew it had had something to do with the way Arthur looked or felt because of the veil he'd seen when they'd all finally reunited. But he had been sure that the way Arthur looked hadn't connected to why the blonde had killed him. It had seemed like a simple little side note.

But that didn't stop the stunned disbelief of seeing one of his Deadbeats playing with the end of a brown and yellow snake tail. A tail that was _easily_ several meters long. A tail that was very obviously attached to Arthur, growing out where his legs _should have been._

He was fairly certain his mind had pulled up the Blue-Screen-of-Death at the sight.

Mystery was quick to headbutt him in the side with a snarl, bringing him back to the present and kicking his mind back into gear.

The not-dog was giving him a _look._ His pretty-much-patented “Freak out later, we have more important things” look. It just further cemented why Arthur always treated Mystery like a person instead of an animal. He was just too smart and expressive to be normal.

He quickly shifted one arm under Arthur's- under where Arthur's knees _should_ have been, and carefully lifted the blonde up, his grip tighter than it probably needed to be. The mechanic wasn't heavy per-say, but the long tail made balancing his weight awkward (also those scales were _cold,_ and he didn't think that was a good thing). One of his Beats had the bright idea of wrapping the tail around Lewis' shoulders, making so that it wasn't dragging in the snow or getting caught in stray branches (Tree, bush, or other), but it wasn't very helpful over all.

Getting back to the cabin was slower than Lewis' would have liked (due to the cold, the snow, and him juggling Arthur's awkward weight), but he was just glad the thing that attacked them hadn't come back for a second round. Getting inside had held him up for a moment but his little beats easily opened the door for him, once he realized his hands were too full of unconscious mechanic to open it himself.

“Vivi! I found them! But you're gonna need to take a look at Arthur!” _'Because I sure don't know what to think of this...'_ He heard a thud from the second floor, followed by the scrambling foot steps of someone racing down the hall towards the stairs. He carefully laid Arthur out on the couch, fumbling slightly to get the long tail off his shoulders and trying to figure out what would qualify as “comfortable” for the other, before just draping said tail over one armrest and curling it around the back of the couch.

Arthur hadn't stirred in the slightest throughout the trip, and it was really starting to make him worry.

“Holy Cheese!” Lewis looked back to see Vivi at the bottom of the stairs, staring wide-eyed at at Arthur. More specifically the tail attached to him. “What on earth happened to him?” Lewis didn't know what to tell her.

Mystery let out an aggravated bark, making the girl and ghost jump at the sudden noise. Lewis gave his head a shake, bringing himself back to the task at hand.

Arthur was still hurt, still bleeding where he lay. They needed to handle that first. He stated as much to Vivi, who tore off to grab the med-kit they brought with them.

Arthur's shirt, jacket, and prosthetic were carefully removed, Lewis taking a moment to cover the blonde's waist from Vivi's sight (He had no idea if there was anything there, but he would still respect Arthur's modesty in front others). And when the girl returned with the supplies, his wounds were quickly swathed in medicine, gauze and bandages.

Thankfully, it seemed the cuts weren't as deep as he feared, most of them shallow and easy to clean and dress. They were still bad though, and it would takes a couple weeks before he fully recovered, Lewis was sure of that. They'd made sure to check the blonde's head too, since he had been knocked out (There was a lump, but it didn't look too bad).

But now came the hard part, figuring out what happened to Arthur to change him like this. After all, humans didn't randomly change into half-snake people from being bashed upside the head. That just wasn't natural.

Lewis stared down at the unconscious blonde, trying to puzzle out how this was even possible when he finally noticed something he hadn't before.

“The veil's gone...” he muttered. He had been so distracted by the state the blonde was in that he hadn't even noticed that his ever-present veil was no longer there.

“Veil? What do you mean?” He looked back at Vivi, trying to figure out how to explain it. Maybe it was something she could explain?

So he did. He explained the energy he had always seen wrapped around Arthur (he didn't bring up the one around Mystery. He had a feeling that would anger the not-dog and he didn't want that), the way it originated from his chest and wrapped around him from there, how it was kind of warm yet the blonde had never said anything about feeling too hot.

He watched Vivi chew her lip thoughtfully.

“I remember one case I had gone alone for,” she said slowly, carefully pulling at her memories as she spoke. “It had been while Arthur was still getting his prosthetic, a minor one about someone seeing something weird, nothing harmful, just odd. I found a cryptid was using a cave near town as a hiding spot, because she was having trouble with staying in her human form.

“She told me that some cryptids could take human forms on their own, but others like her needed a help _staying_ in that form. They carried special talismans with them that helped them stay human even when they lost their concentration. She had lost her's and was trying to find it again. I helped her figure out where it went, but she made me promise not to tell anyone about her unless it was really important. She said they didn't like being revealed, because a lot of people didn't like folks who weren't human.” She straightened up, her expression firm, with an undercurrent of realization.

“Arthur- Arthur must be like that too. He must've had a talisman to stay human, and lost it when that monster attacked him.”

Lewis felt a small flicker of worry in his chest, a hand clenching on the back of the couch. Discovering what that veil was answered some of his questions, but now what?

If Arthur wasn't _actually_ human, how could they heal him? What if he actually needed some kind of _special_ medicine that they didn't know about? Was the stuff they used going to work? And why wasn't he _waking up?!_

Lewis' wanted to beat his head against something in frustration (preferably a wall).

Vivi crouched down by Arthur's tail, resting a hand over the scaly form as she examined it.

“Heat, we need to get him warm.” Her tone was firm, and she nodded in that self-assured way of hers. She lightly patted it as she continued. “This is a snake tail. Snakes, like most reptiles, are cold-blooded animals. Meaning they can't generate their own body heat. This is just a guess, but I bet Arthur can't either. You said the veil was warm, right?”

Lewis nodded.

“Then I bet it was making his body warm enough to keep working. Snakes and other reptiles go into hibernation when the temperature drops, that's why people never see them in cold climates or during winter.”

“So the cold's basically sent him into a coma, and he won't wake up until he's warm again.” Lewis summarized. Vivi nodded, confirming it.

It was still worrying, but at least they now had some idea of what was going on and what to do. His hand reached up to rub at the back of his neck (a habit from when he was alive), only to drop it to his side. They had work to do.

“Alright then, I'll get a fire started. Why don't you see if you can find a clean shirt or a sweater and some blankets for Arthur?” He paused. “Actually, don't we have a bunch of electric blankets in the van? I'll send some Deadbeats to get those.”

.

.

.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I HAVE FAN ART FOR THIS!!! This image was drawn by the amazing Saffireclaw from Tumblr! Had a little trouble fitting it in the page though...  
> Here's the Tumblr link!
> 
> https://sapphireclaw.tumblr.com/post/170045594449/a-thing-for-rosebloodcats-nagaarthur-au-and-i


	3. Arthur Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arthur comes to, some info is dumped, and we learn about our monster.

~~Arthur~~

Arthur _hated_ the cold. He hated the way it sapped his energy, hated how weak it left him, hated how sluggish it made his mind and body. He hated how easily it could drive him into hibernation against his will.

As a hatchling, as a child, he had been caught out in a snowstorm once. It had taught him just how _easy_ it was for the cold to hurt him.

It had been a winter field trip at his grade school, something about winter safety that all kids should know. His parents hadn't liked the idea of sending him out into the cold (out where he was weakest), but the skills were important to know so they had allowed him to go with his classmates. With all the grown-ups watching them, it should have been okay. It should have been safe. They had been wrong.

The storm had caught them by surprise (the teachers, the coordinators, the officers keeping an eye on them), and had actually been caused by an ice elemental throwing a fit back in town. There had been no warning of it appearing at all.

One minute the skies were clear, the next; dark clouds, strong winds, and blankets of snow were pouring down on them.

He had remembered to do all the things the adult humans had told him to.

Either make or find shelter against the wind and the cold, keep your brightest garment out so people can see it and find you, blow your whistle to make sure someone will hear it over the wind, once you find a spot _don't leave it,_ the whole nine yards. But _he_ had needed one thing that wasn't handed out to children, a _thermal blanket._

The storm had been a short one, but it had done enough.

Thankfully, the teacher who found him had known about the cryptid children in the school, and quickly realized that he had been sent into a temperature coma. The teacher was also an elemental, a fire one, and had wrapped him in heating and warmth recovering charms (they later taught him how to add more heat to the magic of his Talisman, to avoid such things in the future). They had known that the cold was dangerous for him, and they worked to help him recover from the damage. Worked to get Arthur to what would have been expected of a human child caught in such a brief storm and had done everything he was supposed to.

The other teachers had all praised him for following their instructions, as had his parents, but he knew it would have been very bad if the elemental teacher hadn't found him first. Knowing danger was an instinct, _understanding_ only strengthened it.

He always did his best to avoid the cold because of that incident, because of how easily it could hurt him. Usually, he could talk Vivi out of cold weather cases, citing the temperature, the weather, or the distance to avoid going (most of those were pretty far away anyways, snow wasn't exactly common where they lived, so he usually had good arguments).

There were times when he lost those arguments, and that would result in him “over packing”.

He would pack electric blankets and space heaters in the van, he'd keep an extra thermal blanket with his own belongings, he would even keep a spare heating talisman hidden in the van (it was more to raise the base temperature for his main heating spell, than a separate one), not to mention the tote bag full of hand and feet warmers he kept tucked under the back seat.

When his mind stirred, slowing pulling him from unconsciousness, and registered the weak, numb feeling that came from his entire body, he knew _exactly_ what must have happened. He'd fallen into partial-hibernation, one that he was coming out of due to someone quickly raising his temperature again. (Just like that trip all those years ago.) He would feel sluggish and light headed for a while, but it was probably better than whatever state he _could_ have been in.

He didn't open his eyes right away, simply letting the heat around him sink in and ease him into awareness. No need to make himself sick by forcing things.

Sound came first; the sound of hushed voices either arguing or talking to each other, of rustling paper like the pages of a book being turned, and the crackling of a fire. Smell came next; the smell of cooking food, the smell wood smoke, and his friends near by. Then came touch; he could feel the pressure under his tail that said part of it was on a raised surface with a small amount of give, then the feeling of soft, fluffy cloth wrapped around his skin and his scales. And the feel of a steady warmth coming from one side, helping raise his body heat once more.

He couldn't help the soft groan that escaped him when a dull, painful ache made itself known across his chest and back. He hadn't really expected it, had he been hurt before the cold got to him?

“Arty!”

It was all the warning he got before a warm body suddenly latched onto his slowly waking one, putting pressure on his aching chest and sending a small surge of pain through him. He let out a pained grunt, forcing his eyes open to see the offending person.

Blurry blue with a splash of pink filled his vision, and it took a moment for his eyes to clear enough to recognize who it was.

“Vivi?” He slurred, his words drawn and slow. “Wha' happened?”

She started talking, too quickly for him to keep up in his current state, but he'd managed to catch enough to get the gist of things. They's escaped from a monster, he'd gotten hurt by it, L had gone out and gotten him from the storm, he'd gone comatose and they'd brought his temperature back up. Also his talisman was gone.

Wait... What?

Arthur jolted, struggling to sit up despite his exhausted, one armed state. Gritting his teeth against spikes of pain that shot up across chest and back. He'd been laid out on the couch in the cabin's den, and wrapped in so many blankets he could barely move. Still, he could see it in the way the blankets lay across his lower body, he had a tail instead of legs.

Crap, he could only imagine what they had thought upon seeing it.

“Stop that.” A deep voice ordered. For a moment, Arthur's groggy mind thought the voice belonged to his missing friend Lewis, until a large, dark hand rested on his chest and pushed him back down. He looked up into the dark eye sockets of L, the glowing magenta of his irises staring back at the injured Naga laying on the couch. The look the ghost was giving him was firm and unwavering. “You're hurt right now, we don't need you making your injuries _worse.”_

He blinked slowly up at the ghost, still processing his words.

L actually sounded- worried? He thought the spirit hated him, he must've been in really bad shape to rattle him this badly. The ghost winced.

“I don't hate you, Arthur, I just- never mind. It's not important right now.” He said with a sigh.

Shoot, he'd said that out loud. He must've been more messed up than he thought. Vivi cleared her throat to get their attention.

She looked worried too, jeez, just what had happened to him?

“Arthur, what was that monster? I- I didn't recognize it, but it was pretty obvious that you did.” A monster he knew that she didn't? Well that was new. He scratched through his still-hazy memory, trying to grasp the image of the creature that injured him. It was-

He abruptly shuddered, a spike of fear running through him. Of all the monsters he knew about, why did it have to be _that_ one? Why did it have to be a monster he could never stand against without his talisman? One with such a terrible reputation that he was honestly terrified of it.

He swallowed weakly, he had to tell them. He had to warn them.

“It- It's one of the monsters I remember my Mama warning be about. Tellin' me I should get away from them as fast as I could if I ever heard about one.” His voice was still slow and slightly slurred, but he knew he had their undivided attention. “The _Wendigo_. They- They're _bad_. Really bad. Everybody says to stay away from them. 'Cuz they come from really nasty stuff, really bad magics.” He shuddered again.

“They're _demons_ that came from people goin' against their nature, made from people goin' crazy. Humans that got caught in snow storms an' got so desperate to live, to survive, that they started _eating_ their own kind.”

Vivi looked horrified at the concept, of a cryptid that was made from people resorting to _cannibalism_ to survive.

It was a horrible, outlandish idea for humans. Their lives were built on safety and community, on working to help each other overcome obstacles and difficulties. Cannibalism was considered a sick and twisted idea, a horrible concept that went against their very natures. Even L, the ghost of someone who had probably been murdered, looked like he was going to be sick (As much as a ghost _could_ at least).

Arthur could understand why, Nagas weren't the most sympathetic creatures, but even they wouldn't resort to such a thing. The thought of someone willingly and intentionally going after their own kind? The idea horrified him.

He borrowed deeper into the blankets. He was still cold, still sluggish, but he couldn't let himself rest. He had to think back to what his mother had told him. Remember the things she'd said.

Vivi was the only (living) human in their group. She was the only one the Wendigo would target, she was the one at risk. He had to remember what they would need to do to protect her from it. A warm hand rested on his shoulder, pulling him from his thoughts.

“Don't force yourself Arthur, we're safe for now. It can't get inside.” L assured him. Arthur must have been thinking out loud again.

“No. There was something, something about the Wendigo bein' able to hurt people without getting close.” He muttered, brow furrowed in thought. His head ached a bit. Did he hit it at some point and not remember? “But I just can't remember how they did it...”

L tensed at that, but tried to give Arthur's shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

“We won't let that happen. It won't get anyone here.” He was honestly surprised by how sure the ghost sounded. It made him feel a little better, but only a bit.

He was still worried though.

 


	4. Arthur Part 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plotting, chatting, and bad feelings

Things were rather tense in the cabin as the storm raged outside. Arthur had managed to convince them to let him sit up, coiling his tail at the base of the couch and staring quietly at the fireplace from an almost normal position.

He could only assume the Windigo's attack and his mini-coma had freaked the others out much more than he'd first thought.

As soon as he was sitting upright again, Vivi had parked herself right next to him (leaning against his un-armed side with huge tome in her hands. Her body heat was both helpful and reassuring), and Mystery had snagged a few of the abandoned blankets and turned Arthur's coiled tail into a makeshift doggy bed. The canine repeatedly glancing up at him when he wasn't staring out the window while using Arthur's tail like a pillow. (his body heat was helping too).

Even L had left one of his deadbeats burrowed into his side to keep an eye on him while he went into the kitchen. The little guy was surprisingly warm for a ghost minion, so Arthur didn't mind basically being babysat/monitored by it. L had given him a mug of hot coco, to further help him warm up, which he appreciated.

L had declared that he would start on dinner because Arthur, Vivi, and Mystery needed to eat and the storm didn't look like it was going to let up anytime soon. He was sure L was one of those people who stress-cooked, and he had no intention of stopping him (Lewis did it too).

Dealing with stress was a good thing. It could make you sick if you didn't, not that a ghost could really _get_ sick. (Was there a ghost equivalent of stress ulcers? He didn't know.) Though he hoped L wouldn't use up _all_ the food in they had, they might need it later.

He was relieved that (so far) they didn't seem to have a problem with him not being human, but a little voice in the back of his head whispered that it was only because there was something more dangerous to worry about right then. That they were only _pretending_ to be okay with it because he was the only one who could stop the monster hunting them.

Arthur did his best to ignore it.

He still tried to remember what his mother had told him about Windigos, but it had been years since then, making it difficult for him to recall everything. Vivi had handed him a notebook so he could write down the scattered bits of information he recalled and get them back in order. It probably looked like gibberish to anyone but him.

The pages were covered in scattered phrases, half formed sentences, and random words that were either crossed out or circled. A few were underlined if he felt they were important, but couldn't remember why. He stared at a small set of phrases scrawled out on the page.

_'Blizzard Caller's'_ , _'Fever dreams'_ , _'Hearts of Ice'_ , and _'Don't leave a target'_. These were the the ones they needed the most, he was sure of it, but he couldn't remember what they meant all together! He groaned, burying his face in his hand (avoiding stabbing himself in the eye with the pen), making the Deadbeat give a worried chirp from it's designated spot.

_Why?_ This was too important for him to forget right now! Why couldn't he remember?!

His head throbbed dully, making it hard to think clearly. It felt a bit like some one had smacked him with a- Oh wait, the Wendigo had thrown him into a tree earlier. No wonder his head hurt. Did they have any aspirin? He'd probably need to take some soon if this kept up.

“Arthur?” He looked up at Vivi, her hand resting on the side of his lap. She seemed calmer than before, that was a good sign. Maybe she was starting to get that he'd be okay. Or maybe she was setting her panic aside for later, when her life wasn't in danger any more. “Is something wrong?”

“I-I'm just a little frustrated, is all. I _know_ I know how to get us out of this, but I just can't seem to grasp onto the info we need. I keep getting little snippets of conversation, or short little words, and it feels like the important stuff is just slipping through my fingers. It's like I'm grabbing at smoke and it's driving me nuts.” He sighed, leaning back. Dropping the pen onto his lap, he ran a hand through his hair, trying to calm himself down. He couldn't panic here, Vivi needed him. Even if she was trying to stay calm about all this. “I hate how useless I am right now.”

L's Beat made a disagreeing chirp and started rubbling little circles in Arthur's side, looking up at him with big golden eyes and a tiny little frown. (God, how did such a _terrifying_ ghost have such _adorable_ minions?! They were just so darn _cute!_ )

“You're not useless, Arty! If it weren't for you, we wouldn't even know what that thing was, let alone how dangerous it is!” Vivi said firmly, waving a finger at him. She smiled warmly, lightly bumping him with her shoulder. “Besides, you ended up saving my life, even if you got hurt! Thank you for that, by the way.” He smiled slightly, his cheeks warming faintly at her words.

' _But you're still not safe Vivi. It's still out there. Waiting for us, waiting for_ you, _to let your guard down.'_ He thought grimly, his worry returning once more. ' _I have to remember, or it'll win.'_

“That's not really what I meant, V,” he muttered sadly, picking at the edge of the blanket wrapped around him. He hated this, he hated how he couldn't even step outside for as long as the storm continued. He couldn't do _anything_ without his talisman. And he'd forgotten where he'd put his spare one! (It was such a stupid thing for him to do!)

“Then what did you mean?”

“I- I can't help you!” He finally blurted, hand clenching. “I can't go out and help you track it without going into a coma from the cold. I can't keep it from trying to _hurt_ you, because I know I'm not strong enough to fight it. I can't help you get _rid_ of it! All I can do is stay inside, and hope that the info I drag out of my head is _right_ and that I don't end up messing things up and loosing you!” He'd already lost one of his friends (even if he was just missing), and he'd never be able to face Lewis if something happened to Vivi. Mystery whined sadly up at him.

Arthur heard the blunette sigh, closing her book and setting it down before throwing an arm over his shoulders and giving him a light squeeze. A comforting little chip rose up from the blankets, and Mystery pawed at his coils like he was trying to pat his leg.

“Nothing's gonna happen to me, Arty. I've got you, and L, and Mystery all watching out for me,” She said, smiling at him. She gently pulled the notebook from his lap. “Here, why don't you show me what you've remembered so far? Maybe I can help you puzzle it out.”

She carefully examined Arthur's chicken-scratch hand writing. More specifically, the sections he'd rewritten and labeled “Important”. The Beat cooed and wriggled it's way into his lap (he really wished L would tell him their names (if they had any), it would be easier than just calling them “The Deadbeats” or “The Beats”).

“Okay, so one of these seem pretty obvious at this point. _'Hearts of Ice'_ must refer to their element and nature. You said they come from people starving during snow storms and blizzards, so it's obvious they're part of the Ice element. Hm, that actually gives us a bit of an advantage. Since L has a fire element, he's probably better suited to fight it and it's powers won't be as strong against him.” She commented, rubbing her chin in thought. “ _'Blizzard Caller's'_ doesn't seem so simple if it were similar to the other one. But if we were to take it literally, then it sounds like... Wait a minute, are you telling me that these things can make blizzards whenever they feel like it?!”

The blonde jolted at her sudden shout, then shrugged nervously.

“Erm... Maybe? They're supposed to only come out during them. And with the way they're supposed to be always hungry, I don't think they just sit back and wait until the next storm happens to come along.” The tip of his tail started flicking under the blankets and thumping against Mystery's side, a nervous tick of his when in his real form (their not-dog had _such_ patience for him to put up with that without complaining. Or biting). Arthur sighed softly.

“Oh, that's just... peachy.” Vivi commented dryly, pinching the bridge of her nose in agitation. “Moving on, these other two look a little harder. You've got _'Fever Dreams'_ by the blizzard one, so I'm assuming you think they're connected? ' _Fever Dreams'_ , it _is_ kind of hard to figure out what that one means. They're obviously not a product of them, but maybe they can cause them? You did say that they could hurt people without getting close to them.” He nodded. She hummed thoughtfully. “Maybe, the way they hurt people without getting close is to _cause_ the dreams. It could be that they cause people to fall ill, then force them into severe hallucinations. They could use the madness from the dreams to drive their p-prey out into the storms they caused.”

That- That sounded, terrible and horribly plausible. He felt like Vivi was right about this. If she _was,_ then he was going to be keeping a close eye on her health. He refused to loose her.

“Okay but this last one, _'Don't leave a target'._ I'm not too sure about what this one is talking about. Is it- Are you referring to their-their prey? Are you saying they shouldn't be left on their own? Or is it something else?” Her voice quivered slightly, making Arthur want to bundle her up in his coils so nothing could reach her. Not without having to go through _him_ first.

He stared down at the coffee table in front of him, worrying his lip in thought. Had his mother been talking about hunting? (Or rather, being Hunted?)

No, _'Hearts of Ice'_ and _'Don't Leave a Target'_ weren't related to hunting. He was sure of it. He shook his head.

“No Vi, it was for something else. But I just can't-” He sighed, shoulders sagging. “I just wish I could remember _what_ it meant. It's like having a word on the tip of your tongue, and no matter how hard you try, you just-” He huffed, waving a hand in the air for emphasis. Vivi chuckled at that.

“Yeah, I know what you mean. I've had moments like that too, remember?”

“Only rarely, Vi. You're usually the encyclopedia of the supernatural. There's almost _nothing_ you _don't_ know.” He glanced back at Vivi, who was staring intently at his face. “What?”

She jolted, and flashed a sheepish smile.

“Eh-heh, sorry Arty. I spaced for a moment,” she commented, sounding slightly embarrassed. “And I don't always know everything. But I _do_ try.” She suddenly stifled a yawn into her sleeve, drawing the Naga's attention to her appearance.

Vivi wasn't actually looking very good right then. Her hair was a mess, only being held back from her face by her headband, with flyaway strands all over the place. There were dark bags under her eyes, and she looked rather flushed (now that he was actually looking for it). A flicker of worry blossomed in his chest.

When was the last time they'd actually slept? He knew _he_ hadn't gotten any sleep during the drive down.

They'd driven for, what? Almost eleven hours straight to get here? With only a couple pit stops for food and gas along the way. He'd swapped with L for a bit (the guy could drive about as good as Arthur, and wouldn't intentionally crash the car) so he could try to get some sleep, but he hadn't succeeded. Had Vivi gotten any sleep? Or had she slept, but not well enough for her health?

“Hey Vi, why don't you take a nap or something? You like you could use some rest...” He started, but his words trailed away as she simply waved him off.

“Nah, I'm okay. I just haven't really cleaned up from the stress from earlier. Once I get some food in me, I'll be just fine!” He gave her a wary look.

He knew Vivi, she was almost always as neat and organized about her appearance as she could be (it was a professionalism thing), but what had happened earlier was stressful enough that she _could_ have just not cleaned up yet. But if she was tired and trying to hide it... Well, that made him nervous. Vivi, wonderful as she was, tended to get a little bit- _Weird,_ when she was tired. She would come up with things that were just plain _strange_ when she wasn't running on a full night's sleep. There was a phrase for the sleep-deprived state the blue-haired girl would fall into, but he couldn't remember what exactly it was.

But he knew she would just do what she liked even if he didn't agree with her, and just let it slide for now. He hoped he wasn't making a bad choice.

“If you're sure, V.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gods, this is turning out way longer than I intended.... and it still not done! TT.TT
> 
> Anyways, there's probably going to be a SUPER long delay after this, because right after this is the point where I got stuck. Enjoy what's here at least!


End file.
